Depressink
by JRedd7272
Summary: Redd got reminded of a bad memory of his loved ones, and he became depressed. Marie wants to do whatever she can to try and help her boyfriend. But depression is huge and can take a while to heal. But what happens when a certain foe comes back for more, to try and ruin the couple's lives forever? (Is NOW rated T)
1. Life

**Woo hoo! First chapter is here, yaaaay! I won't lie, I have been waiting to finally start this story since the end of my recent story. Welp, time to start showing!**

 **Enjoy the first chapter everyone! :D**

* * *

Silence. Deep silence was heard throughout Octo Canyon. While Inkopolis Square had everyone doing their busy stuff like always, Octo Canyon at least had some stuff going on every day.

But not as of today. There was usually a couple Octarians that would go out of their kettle hideouts and try to attack fellow Inkling wanderers. Luckily, none of that was going on right now.

But for the Squid Sisters, who spend some of their time here every day to relax... it was more quiet than usual. But there was one thing that really surprised the both of them in their time off.

Every day in their time at Octo Canyon, Redd would come and visit. Usually, whenever he comes, it'd be for one of a couple reasons: just for a normal conversation or if it is just an emergency situation that they'll really need, whether it would be Octarians, or just something really dire.

Or it could just be a request. After all, since Marie and Redd are dating a lot now, it just seems that time to come to Octo Canyon to pick her up and go on a small date.

But today... Redd didn't come. Not once, or even just for a little bit. He just... isn't here. This worried the Squid Sisters.

Especially Marie. She didn't see him at all since the incident last time Redd was at Octo Canyon, where Marie realized that Redd hates pie not only because he dislikes it... but because it spawns in a bad memory.

"Where's Redd at...?" Marie asked herself.

"I know, right, Marie? He hasn't come! He _always_ comes to visit us at least one time!" Callie exclaimed.

"Always, Cal. But he just... isn't coming for some reason." Marie sighed.

"Are you sure he's not dead, Marie?" Callie asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Callie. Of course he's not dead." Marie replied.

"Then... why is he not coming? Is he really sick? Or is he just... not feeling up to it?" Callie gave some suggestions on why Redd isn't even coming.

"Well, when I came to visit him... he's feeling... depressed." Marie confessed.

"Really?! Why is that?" Callie exclaimed.

"He doesn't want me to tell you. He'll get... even more sad. Trust me." Marie said.

"Okay. I understand." Callie responded.

"But still... Redd should've came. He came every day before, he should've visited," Marie explained, "Trust me on this, Cal. I tried calling him on my cell phone. No matter what day I try to call him, no matter what time... he would always answer as soon as possible."

"And what happened?" Callie asked.

"I tried to call him 10 times. He didn't even pick up..." Marie responded with a sigh.

"Whoa! This depression must be VERY big if he doesn't call back!" Callie shouted.

"I'm just hoping he is feeling alright, Callie. Hopefully..." Marie said. She has a lot of hope in seeing how Redd is doing. If he's acting very off, she knew it couldn't be good, not only for him... but for her as well.

"No, you know what? I'm gonna go see him. He's feeling depressed, an I'm gonna try and help him." Marie said as she stood up.

"Depression is a huge thing from what I've heard." Callie said with a sad look.

"I know. Hopefully that memory doesn't affect him... _too_ much." Marie said, a bit of worriness in her tone.

* * *

 ***scene change: Redd's apartment***

The bedroom looked a bit nicer than last time, but Redd still is the same. He was lying down on his bed, his hair no longer spiky since he didn't bother to comb it today, which is unusual since he likes his hair to be spiky.

"Ugh... why... why did this have to happen..." Redd mumbled. Ever since he has been reminded of pie, there was the one memory of his parents' deaths. They were struck by lightning, and Redd never got the chance to see them since that day.

Eventually, Redd heard his phone buzz. He sighed and walked over to the small desk to pick it up. He realizes his text message was from Joel.

*Message App*

PowerOfRap: Hey, Redd! You wanna do some Turf Wars?

SquidBits101: I don't really feel like it...

PowerOfRap: That's impossible! You're ALWAYS up for Turf War!

SquidBits101: I know... I'm just not feeling up to do it...

PowerOfRap: You feelin' okay, dude?

SquidBits101: I'm fine... just leave me alone...

PowerOfRap: Would you like to do one later?

SquidBits101: I don't know...

PowerOfRap: Well, I'm gonna do some Tower Control. Feel free to text me later on, Redd!

SquidBits101: Okay then...

PowerOfRap: Wanna not get hit?

SquidBits101: Be one with the Squid Bits! ;)

*end chat*

Redd only slightly smiled after typing that sentence before frowning again. As much as he loves saying his signature phrase and doing his signature pose whenever around his friends, depression is a huge thing that can take a lot of time to recover.

The memory begins to play in his head again. When he and Mia saw their parents, on the grass of their backyard, lying dead with no signs of waking up. And the amount of crying the twins had when they found out.

Redd shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. He didn't want to be reminded of the one memory that has haunted him for a long time.

"AAAAAGH!" Redd let out a scream as he stood up, then he punched a wall roughly, leaving a tiny hole in the shape of his knuckle.

 _"This is why I moved to Inkopolis in the first place!"_ Redd thought angrily, _"I wanted to forget my past and THAT memory just to start over! And it's never gonna go away from me, no matter what I try to do!"_

Then he fell to his knees and slammed the floor, a mixture of shouting and crying was heard in his voice.

"Ugh... my past... I'm never gonna forget it." Redd mumbled. Then he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in." Redd said. And it was Marie. She was wearing some casual clothing, consisting of a green sweater and a black shirt, along with regular, green shoes. And she still had her signature headpiece on when doing concerts.

"Hi, Redd." Marie greeted.

"Oh. Hi honey..." Redd said quietly as he looks down.

"Still feeling down?" Marie asked. Redd just slowly nodded.

"Hey... I know how you feel, Redd. Losing the ones you love the most is a really big thing that can leave you very sad and not wanna happen." Marie explained.

"Yes, it is a very sad moment, and I didn't expect it to happen," Redd replied, "Like when I said that sentence to them, I meant it as some kind of over-exaggeration. I didn't actually expect it to happen."

"I know you didn't, Redd. But your parents are in a better place now. It will get better. Trust me." Marie said, trying to cheer him up.

"How? There's nothing possible that could." Redd asked.

"I mean, look at you now! You're an Agent of the New Squidbeak Splatoon," Marie responded, "You saved Inkopolis Square, defeated DJ Octavio, saved the Great Zapfish _and_ Callie, and now you have so much friends by your side! You're even the leader of a music group!"

"Yeah... I know. But, I'll admit something to you, Marie." Redd started.

"What do you want to tell me?" Marie asked.

"When Mia and I turned 17, we decided to move out of Calamari County, which was our original home," Redd confessed, "Mia and I decided to go to Inkopolis Plaza, since it is the popular place before Inkopolis Square was a thing. I wanted to go there to start over. To forget my past. I wanted to start a new life as the person I was striving to become today. And... that's why I'm here."

"Wow, you used to live in Calamari County? That's cool!" Marie complimented.

"When Mia and I used to live there together, our home was small. But good enough for me, her, and my mom and dad to live there." Redd explained.

"Plus, um... you don't have to forget your past. We all have some good memories from that." Marie said.

"The bad memories I want to forget. But since my parents' deaths, I cannot stand trying to forget my past. It's coming to haunt me." Redd cried.

"Like I said, Redd... everything will be better. Don't worry." Marie said while putting her hand on Redd's back.

"*sigh* Thanks, Marie. But I want to deal with this alone..." The Squid Bits leader said as he turns away.

"I understand. Call me if you need me, ok? I'll be there." Marie said with a small smile. Redd just slowly nods.

"At least have a better day, Redd. Stay Fresh." Marie said with dong her signature pose. And then she walks away, back to whatever plans she decides to do for the rest of the day.

Redd pulled up his squid phone. He scrolled through his photos. There was just the one that made his memories spawn back in. His mom and dad, along with himself and Mia when they were younger.

 _"How I wish you two were her to see how much I have grown up..."_ Redd thought. And then he began to hear chattering from somewhere. The sound came from nearby his apartment entrance.

Redd opened his apartment door, and he saw three different people. The first two were grown ups. The mom had green eyes and blue hair, and the dad had blue eyes and green hair. They wore similar traditional clothing.

And then there was an Inkling similar to Redd's age. Just like the mom, the kid had blue hair and green eyes. He wore a Black V-Neck Tee, and cyan trainer, and he had designer headphones around his neck.

"Oh, hey! You must be my neighbor!" The Inkling greeted.

"Um... yes actually. I assume you all are... moving in?" Redd asked.

"Yes actually! We just got here a few minutes ago. My parents are helping us move in. And my apartment is right next to yours!" The Inkling replied with a chuckle. His parents were holding some boxes, and they put in the key to their new apartment.

"So... what's your name?" The Inkling asked the Squid Bits leader.

"Redd." Redd responded.

"Red? As in the color?" The blue-haired Inkling asked again.

"Yeah. But with 2 d's instead of one. To make it more interesting," Redd said, "Anyway... what's your name?"

"The name's Sonic. Like I said, I just moved right next door. I can't wait to get to know more about you!" The Inkling squealed excitedly.

"Heh... same here." Redd said. And since the first time, not counting the texting he had with Joel, he truly smiled.

"Anyway, I'm gonna finish moving in, and then we should get to know more about each other! How does that sound?" Sonic requested.

"Sure. There's a table I usually like to sit at with my other friends, so we can talk there." Redd responded.

"That sounds good! Well, I'll see you later. Have a good day!" Sonic said while waving as he walked into his new apartment. The door closed, showing the apartment number "703".

And Redd looked at his number, being "702". (Coincidence?)

Redd went back inside his room, and slouched back to his bed. As seemed happy to make another new friend, but he felt guilty as well.

"I don't want him to find out about my issue. I just can't. I'm too depressed to do anything right now." Redd groaned. As he was lying down in his bed, he grabbed one of his pillows and dug his face under it.

* * *

 ***meanwhile***

Nearby the Grizzco shop, there was something... odd about something by the walls. While Inklings and Octolings were going in to do some waves in Salmon Run, they noticed there was some... soapy, teal ink.

When night arrived... the ink moves a bit. The ink moved over to the manhole, and then stopped before it could go in. For some reason, it had a mind of its own and decided to wait before going in.

 **"KRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH"**

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that's the first chapter :D! Also, there's two things about my new OC (yet again XD): Sonic is not made by me. Even though I put him in, he belongs to Sonic14612, so I'm giving him credit for appearing on this story.**

 **Also, there's a Sonic by the exact same user in Pokemon Brick Bronze: An Admin Story. This Sonic is NOT the same Sonic in the Admin Story, so don't confuse these two for one another.**

 **But that's all for now. Stay Fresh, everyone! Have a great rest of your day! :)**


	2. Hangout

**Yeah. There's stuff that stresses me out at times. But I will still make sure to keep on making some chapters that you lovely peeps will enjoy! :D**

 **Here is the long-awaited next chapter. Please enjoy it, y'all! ;)**

* * *

After some time has passed, Redd used some spare time to get ready to hang out with his new friend. Sonic seemed like a nice guy, and Redd didn't want to let him down at any point whatsoever.

Plus, Redd didn't want to admit his terrible memory to anyone. Marie was enough for one person to tell, but Sonic? It doesn't seem right. And Redd just met the squid, for crying out loud!

"Welp... here I go." Redd said to himself as he looked in a mirror. He finally combed his hair, being the signature, spiky hair that most male Inklings usually have. He took enough time to make it spiky so Sonic can know more about the Squid Bits leader. And Redd was still dressed in his traditional clothing: Basic Tee and Gold Hi-Horses.

Redd went to his bedroom and looked at his small desk. He grabbed his Squidvader Cap that was sitting there, and he put it on his head. Then he took a glance at his Neo Splash-o-matic. His sighed heavily. Because of how sad he felt, he knew that if Sonic wanted to do some Turf Wars, Redd would have to say no.

"Hopefully I will do a good first impression..." Redd thought. He opened his apartment entrance and stared at his door. He looked beside him to see if Sonic was immediately going to meet up with him.

No response. Sonic must already be in Inkopolis Square.

"Guess I gotta meet him there." Redd said with a shrug, and he left his apartment anyway.

* * *

As usual, Inkopolis Square is busy as always. Redd was sitting at the usual small table the he, Joel and David normally sit at when they want to talk about any different topics that come to their mind.

"Hmm, I wonder where he is..." Redd thought. And then, he views around the Square to see where his next door neighbor is at. Eventually, he spots the hair and headphones on one Inkling. He was greeting some nearby people, a simple hello, maybe a "how are you" if some of them asked.

"Hey, welcome to Inkopolis Square! We hope you enjoy it here!" A duo of Inkling girls said to the new person.

"Heh heh... thanks." Sonic replied nervously. Redd raised an eyebrow at the nervousness. Did he _already_ fall in love with someone? Falling in love at first sight is merely impossible. For Aaliyah, it made sense considering how she doesn't spend time around a lot of people.

After the girls walked away, Sonic walks as well to find Redd. He does after some time.

"Oh! Hey, Redd!" Sonic shouted as he ran over to where his new friend is.

"Oh. Hey Sonic." Redd greeted as he lets his chin rest on his elbow.

"I was hoping I'd meet you around here," Sonic explained, "The other Inklings around here are very nice! They even complimented me saying how fresh I look! It's like I was mean to be here!"

"Yeah. Like I said, my friends and I spend a lot of time here. We come here a lot to talk." Redd said.

"You think you can share it with me?" Sonic asked.

"I'm sure Joel and David will not mind." Redd replied. He tried to keep his past thought out of his head so his new friend will not notice and question it.

"So, do you like Turf Wars?" Sonic asked a question that Redd oughta answer easily.

"I've... been doing Turf Wars a lot since I first moved to Inkopolis Square. I'm pretty decent at it." Redd answered.

"Wow! You must be really great at them!" Sonic complimented, "Do you have a favorite weapon? A favorite map as well?"

"My favorite weapon is the Neo Splash-o-matic. I like the Burst Bombs that come with it."

"Even though I am new here, I've gotten used to the weapons around here. I even have a favorite already!" Sonic said happily.

"Really? Well... what _is_ your favorite weapon?" Redd asked.

"I've taken a liking to the Dark Tetra Dualies." Sonic replied.

"Ah, I've used those before. When they first came in the shop, they were good weapons, I used them for a few days." Redd explained.

"And... do you still use them sometimes?" Sonic asked.

"Not really. I've stopped using Dualies ever since I got the Neo Splash-o-matic. So I'm not really hot on Dualies as much as I used to." Redd responded.

"So, what else do you and your friends like to do here, besides talk?" Sonic kept asking some questions. Despite Redd feeling way down right now, he is able to keep on making an honest answer for his friends.

"Sometimes we have some lunch. We also practice our new songs. If you never heard of the Squid Bits, look them up. I'm the leader of the group." Redd explained.

"You make music?! What's a song you made!" Sonic exclaimed in excitement.

"I'd most likely suggest you listen to 'Squid Melody' first It was our first song." Redd suggested.

"Yeah. This is such a cool day! You're awesome, Redd!" Sonic complimented.

"Yeah... thanks..." Redd said, sadness in his voice. Sonic got confused, he immediately caught up to that.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked. Redd looked up at his new friend.

"I-I'm fine." He replied as he looks away.

"You don't look fine, Redd. You look sad and depressed." Sonic pointed out. Redd got even more surprised. How did Sonic manage to find out about that?

"H-How did you know?" The red Inkling asked in shock.

"I just guessed... because of the way you're acting, and your looks, too." Sonic responded. Redd sighed in defeat. On one hand, he knew he had to tell Sonic about his past memory. But he didn't want to at the same time. Plus, Redd just met the squid! Why we he admit something _that_ personal?

"Well, Sonic... I... need to tell you something. The reason... I am like this..." Redd said.

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"First off, please promise me you won't tell anyone about this." Redd requested.

"I do." Sonic said.

"Okay... here goes." Redd replied. He took a deep breath and exhaled it out. He scooted closer to Sonic, so then no one else eavesdrops on the conversation.

 _6 minutes of a sad story later..._

"Oh my cod. I'm... very sorry to hear that, Redd." Sonic said in worriness after the story was done.

"It's fine. It's not your fault. You weren't even there when it happened anyway." Redd responded.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Sonic asked.

"What does it look like? After being reminded of that memory, I can't be bothered to do stuff right now!" Redd exclaimed, and he dug is face under the table. If anything, Redd thought that maybe Sonic would be offended by the outburst, then just yell at him and walk away.

But no. Sonic felt very concerned for his new friend. He couldn't believe that Redd's parents died, and Redd just meant it as an over-exaggeration. Not the truth.

"Hey, Redd?" Sonic started, to try and make the Squid Bits leader feel better.

"What is it..." Redd moaned.

"You wanna come to my apartment? My parents might already be done with putting the furniture and stuff around." Sonic insisted.

"Sure. I... don't know what else to do anyways." Redd replied with a shrug.

"Wanna super jump?" Sonic challenged, a smirk on his face.

"Heck yeah." Redd said back. And they turned into squid form and super jumped away.

* * *

 ***scene: 7th floor in New Albacore Hotel***

Sonic opened the door to his new apartment. Everything was neat and organized. Sonic noticed his parents walking to him.

"Alright, sweetie. Your father and I are gonna walk out and do some errands," Sonic's mom said, "So... don't cause too much trouble, and have fun with your new friend."

"I will. Thanks, Mom." Sonic said with a smile. His mother gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she and his father left him. Redd just had a sympathetic look on his face. Every time Redd and Mia would go to school, _their_ mother would kiss them on the cheek once in a while.

"So, ya got any ideas?" Sonic asked.

"Not really. This is your apartment though." Redd replied.

"I got just the thing we can do. Come with me." Sonic insisted, and he walks along. Redd follows right behind.

Sonic walks into another room, which is his new bedroom. I had blue walls and a tan carpeting floor. His bed fits for one person, but there were a few blankets as well. There were also a couple different posters: the Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, and... some blue hedgehog.

"Check this thing out." Sonic said, a wide smile on his face. There was also a TV, and on a desk was a gaming console. It wasn't usually the ones Inklings had to play Squid Jump, Squid Ball, etc. at their home. Nope, this console was called...

a Nintendo Switch.

Redd seemed surprised. There was a dock that not only had the console's name... but... it also had the face of Switch, the mysterious god who managed to transport him, Callie and Marie to Hyrule one time.

Is this how Switch originated?

"Redd? You okay? You look a little uneasy." Sonic asked with concern.

"N-No, it's not that! It's just... I'm surprised you have something like that!" Redd exclaimed. But that was a lie. The red Inkling's parents is one thing he was forced to admit. But he could _not_ tell Sonic about Switch. At least not yet.

"I just a game that both of us can play!" Sonic cheered. He turned to the dock, and the console was inside it. He pressed the power button on the top, and then the TV. The menu on this "Nintendo Switch" was now displayed on the big screen.

There were only 3 games on it: Sonic Mania (which they don't know), Sonic Forces, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

"Here. We'll play this one." Sonic said, and then pressed the icon that said Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It loaded up the game.

Sonic walked over to the console. There were 2 mini controllers, and he slid them off the console. He then placed them in a grip, making it a more traditional controller. Sonic opened a drawer and pulled out another controller. This time, it looks _more_ modern and was more gray, while the mini controllers different colors. The left was was neon blue, and the right one was neon red.

"So... what are we playing?" Redd asked.

"It's called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It's a fighting game, from what I've heard." Sonic explained.

 _"Smash Bros... I feel like I've heard about that before..."_ Redd thought. Sonic used the modern, gray controller as Player 1. Redd ended up using the (kinda) traditional one, as Player 2.

After a intro that Sonic skipped, he navigated the menu and went on a regular Smash mode: 3 stocks, infinite time.

The stage picked was a simple one. It was called "Final Destination".

And now for the characters. Sonic picked a character that was also called Sonic. But the Sonic in this game was a blue hedgehog.

Redd thought for a little bit before deciding to pick a character. He decided to go with the mustache man named "Mario".

"Ah. Good choice. May the best squid win, okay?" Sonic cheered.

"Alrighty then." Redd replied.

* * *

 ***one Smash match later***

Sonic won the match. To be fair, it was actually a close call. For Redd's first time on the game, he ALMOST defeated Sonic!

"Wow, Redd! You're very good at this game!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Thanks. I... never played something like that before." Redd said quietly.

"Wanna do it again?" Sonic asked.

"How about changing the modes?" Redd suggested.

"Alright! Let's be on a team!" Sonic said happily.

Character selection again. This time, Sonic played as Inkling, and changed the skin to the indigo one with the skating helmet.

Redd navigated, and there was one character who caught his eye.

Link.

So the Hyrule hero is in Smash too, eh?

2 Random opponents were set to level 4. Sonic and Redd are on the Blue team, and the opponents on the Yellow Team.

* * *

 ***Another match later***

Sonic and Redd won the match. Redd did the finishing job with Link's Final Smash, the Ancient Arrow, and Sonic was impressed.

Following their win, Sonic decided to play Classic Mode with Redd. Sonic is once again the blue hedgehog called Sonic, and Redd is Link again. Since the Squid Bits leader was new to this, Sonic set the intensity to start at 1.0, and then work their way up.

It was a good experience for the squids. Random opponents came their way, they worked together to defeat them. Then there was a bonus stage where they had to collect gold and escape the place before a black hole comes to suck them in.

And the final boss in the route was a giant right handed gloved called "Master Hand", and a left-handed glove called "Crazy Hand. They were decently average to defeat, but it was good. And then they shot credits inside a polygonal background after they won.

"So, Redd. Are you feeling better?" Sonic asked as he turns off the console after saving progress that was automatic.

"A little bit." Redd replied. He had a slight smile on his face, so Sonic knew that was a good sign.

Redd's squid phone started ringing. He looked at the caller, and saw that it was Marie.

"Excuse me, Sonic. I gotta take this." Redd said. Sonic nodded in understanding. Redd walked into the living room and answered the call.

"Hello?" Redd asked as he puts the phone near his right ear.

 _"REDD! Oh my cod, you_ actually _picked up!_ " Marie shouted.

"Y-Yeah... anyway, what's up?"

 _"Just called to see how you're doing. You feelin' okay?"_

"I just got done playing this game called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with my new friend."

 _"Super... Smash Bros? That seems familiar."_

"Yeah, but-"

 _"And you made a new friend?"_

"Yeah... he kinda... found out about my memory." Redd said awkwardly.

 _"You knew you had to tell, didn't ya? Don't deny it."_ Marie teased.

"Shut up." Redd exclaimed. Marie just giggled.

 _"Anyway... I hope you're doing better, Redd. You know you can talk to me anytime, right?"_

"Of course. In fact, I'm gonna come over to Octo Canyon right now."

 _"Okay, honey. See you later. *kiss sound*"_

 _Click!_

Marie hung up. Redd put his phone back into his pocket, and walked to where Sonic is.

"Come. I want to show you some friends that you might know." Redd said.

"Sure thing!" Sonic replied.

* * *

 ***scene: Inkopolis Square***

Redd and Sonic were back there. Redd guided Sonic to a manhole.

"Turn into squid form. This is a place where I like to hang out at." Redd instructed. Sonic turned into his squid form and dove into the manhole, and Redd soon followed right behind.

But... the teal ink was still there, now right above the manhole after the two squids left.

 **"I'LL... BE... BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKKK... KRRRRRRRRSSSSSH."**

It slowly followed them. But decided to keep itself at a safe distance.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry it took so long. I've been having a busy day :0. Anyways, I'm glad this chapter is out. And I know Smash and Sonic are in here, but my friend suggested this for me, and I knew it would be good.**

 **Anyway, c y'all next time, and Stay Fresh! ;)**


	3. Is he back?

**Sorry for the delay, but the new chapter for this story is finally out :D! You know... to be honest with you, since I am a Nintendo fanboy. I've wanted to be a video game designer since Smash Bros for the Wii U (or Smash 4). But... if that doesn't work out, I'm planning on being a pro gamer. For Smash.**

 **And... my parents tried to worry me about traveling and continuous math. Also, they think I'm a math wizard. I can't do long division in my head! I used to, but now that's just random crap, never coming back to it.**

 **And plus, I'll be okay with traveling. There's E3 events in the summer, and when I get older, I won't mind going to those events. As long as it's with Nintendo, I'm okay with checking it out. And Smash will make it better for me.**

 **Okay, enough of that ranting. Let's get started! ;)**

* * *

 ***scene: Octo Canyon***

The two squids emerged from the manhole. Redd immediately super jumped. Sonic didn't know why Redd did that. Was he still upset about the loss? No, maybe it is a surprise. But Sonic doesn't know what is happening right now.

"Where am I right now?" Sonic asked himself. And then he heard four squids talking. And their voices... sounded familiar. Sonic looked in front of him, and he was immediately starstruck by what he was seeing right now.

Callie, Marie, Pearl _and_ Marina all in one place. Callie was wearing her casual outfit and beanie, and Marie was wearing her kimono. Pearl and Marina were also wearing their causal outfits.

"I-Is it r-really... them?" Sonic stuttered. Fortunately, his voice was pretty quiet, so the idols didn't overhear that one stutter. They were too busy in there conversation to hear it.

"Wait. Redd? Where are you at?" Sonic asked.

"Psst. Sonic." Redd whispered. Sonic looked behind the cabin, and he saw Redd there, except he looked... different.

Redd's "new" outfit was inspiring. It was a yellow hoodie with a black zipper, his shorts still black, but a bit longer. He wore black snow boots, and he had a pair of weird headphones on his ears. What he also had was a black cape, with the number 4 written on the back, in red.

"Redd?! What are you wearing?" Sonic exclaimed.

"Heh heh, with this outfit, I'm not Redd. To Octarians, I'm someone different." Redd replied.

"Octarians? Someone different? What are you talking about?" Sonic asked. He was beyond confused by what he was seeing.

"Sonic... here in Octo Canyon, I'm..." Redd started. He fully turned around and shows him the back of his cape.

"I'm Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon." Redd said with a wide grin on his face. But... did it seem forced? Not sure of that is possible. The Squid Sisters notice Redd and Sonic there, and they just giggle.

"There goes Redd with his playfulness again, showing it to his new friend." Callie laughed. But then she realized Sonic.

"Wait, what?" The magenta pop star almost yelled.

"Yep. That's Redd's new friend, Cal. I called him earlier, and that's just what he's been doing." Marie explained to her cousin.

"WAIT, HE ACTUALLY CALLED YOU?!" Callie screamed.

"Geez, Callie. Chill. Your voice is loud enough to break glass." Pearl warned.

"Um, Pearlie... are you sure you don't mean that to... anyone else?" Marina asked. And then Pearl realized. Her... loud rapping back then. That caused a lot of damage back at her Folk-Singing concert.

"Ok, that was... a little off, wasn't it?" Pearl said nervously. And now that the awkward conversation was over, Redd walked over to them. Marie felt happy to see that her boyfriend wasn't feeling very sad.

"Hey, girls. What's shakin'?" Redd greeted.

"Nothing much, Redd. Off the Hook came over for our latest concert in a week! We're teaming up on it!" Callie explained.

"We thought they needed the help." Marina added.

"Say, Redd... can you introduce your new friend to us?" Marie requested.

"Sure thing! Girls, meet Sonic." Redd said, and then he steps aside, letting the idols see Redd's new friend.

"Oh my cod! T-This is actually happening! The Squid Sisters _and_ Off the Hook, right in front of me!" Sonic yelled. He was completely starstruck.

"Heh heh... I guess he's nervous to actually see you four in person." Redd chuckled.

"Well, Sonic... it's nice to meet you. You know us by now, we don't need to introduce." Marie said, twirling her parasol in her hands.

"You guys look... different in those clothing." Sonic complimented.

"These are our casual clothing. You know, when we're not performing for all of Inkopolis." Marina replied.

"So, what brings you guys here?" Callie asked.

"Just coming to visit. That's all." Redd responded.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Redd. With our whole music competition... we make good rivals." Marina said, and then shot a teasing glare at them.

"Gotta get back into the music business soon. Can't stay lazy for long." Redd responded, shrugging casually. And then came a buzzing noise, along with a noise notification that said:

"OH MY COD!"

"What's that notification for?" Pearl asked.

"I gotta remember our set list! After all, we can't just sit back on our contest!" Callie exclaimed.

"What the squid is that... notification sound though?" Marie groaned, kinda confused why that would be something that Callie would pick as a reminding notification.

"I dunno, it just sounds funny." Callie replied.

"And there's nothing wrong with funny." Marina added.

"And plus... heh, the 'oh my cod' sounds like Redd sometimes." Callie giggled.

"That's _not_ true! That's completely stupid!" Redd retorted back.

"Geez, Redd. Learn to take a joke. I'm just kidding." Callie said, her hands raised, not looking for any trouble.

"What you're trying to do is offend me! I've been through a lot, don't bring those so-called 'jokes' in front of my face!" Redd yelled.

"Wow. What a sour squid." Pearl said in an annoyed tone.

"I'LL BE SOUR ALL I WANT! NO JOKES ARE COMING TO ME AS LONG AS I LIVE! I'LL DEAL WITH MY DEPRESSION HOWEVER I WANT TO!" Redd screamed.

"H-Honey... please calm down. We had enough of this." Marie begged.

"I'll calm down when you admit that was a threat, not a dumb joke!" Redd shouted.

"But it was a joke, Redd," Marie replied, "And plus, you like some jokes, like my bread puns! And I understand your pain, Redd. I'm just trying to help you after what happened to your pare-"

Then Marie covered her mouth with her hands, realizing what she was about to say. Redd got surprised, since he told Marie face-to-face not to tell anyone about it. But now... the secret is out, and the other idols began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Redd? You alright, dude?" Sonic asked as he put his hand on his new friend's shoulder. But Redd roughly pushes his hand off his shoulder, and turned into his squid form, slipping through the manhole once he gets there.

"Oh no... Redd..." Sonic thought, a worried look on his face. Pearl, Callie and Marina thought that it was not a good time to talk about something personal. That was Agent 4 they were talking about just now!

"So, um... Sonic, how long have you been at Inkopolis?" Marie asked, changing the topic so the last one doesn't go on for so long.

"Recently. I've gotten used to Turf Wars battles before I moved here, so I'm pretty experienced." Sonic explained.

"Well then, you should let us watch sometime! It'll be nice to see you do a battle!" Callie said.

"It would be an honor." Sonic replied as yellow cartoonish stars became his eyes. Then he heard his phone ring. Besides his parents numbers, he recently got Redd's number before they left to Octo Canyon.

Sonic saw that it was his mom calling him, so he picks up.

"Hello?" Sonic called out. And there was a long conversation of "Where have you been?", "We need some help", and "Don't stay out there too long".

"Okay, girls. I have to go. My mom needs me back home before it gets late." Sonic said as he walks to the manhole.

"Okay, Sonic. We'll see you another time." Marie responded while waving goodbye. Sonic waves back before turning into his squid form and slides through the manhole to go back to Inkopolis Square.

"Heh, that squid though... he looks perfect." Marina said dreamily.

"Hey, Rina? What were you just saying now?" Pearl asked, curious on the sentence.

"I said... he's perfect. I think I'm in love." Marina replied.

"No way! I-I'm in love too! He should be with me!" Pearl yelled.

"That's not true! There's some stuff you might do to get him angry!" Marina said angrily.

"But an Inkling wouldn't be with an Octoling just yet! We just met him!" Pearl shouted back. And then they started arguing constantly, sometimes roasting each other as their little bicker kept on going.

"What are you two yelling about?" Callie exclaimed as she got in between the two. The Off the Hook idols looked at her confused.

"It's obviously _me_ who should be with Sonic!" Callie boasted as she pointed at herself. Everyone was silent for approximately one second before Callie, Pearl and Marina started arguing with each other.

Marie just looked at them, half confused, half annoyed.

"Wow." She said. And then lowered she lowered her brows, her annoyance getting higher as the argument kept on going.

"Wooooooowwww..." Marie groaned. But they just kept arguing.

"Okay, well... I'm just gonna stay out of... whatever this is." Marie said to herself as she walks away from Cuttlefish Cabin.

* * *

 ***many minutes later***

Marie is now the only one at Cuttlefish Cabin now. Pearl and Marina had to go back for Inkopolis news, and Callie went back to talk with her grandpa.

"Ahh, now that's more like it. Peace and quiet." Marie sighed happily. She felt happy about this, especially since quiet and slow are one of the two things she prefers. After all, she's the more calm of the Squid Sisters duo.

But then Redd popped into her mind. The squid left and didn't call, or even text her back. Was the depression coming back?

 _"I think I should go check on Redd."_ Marie thought. Meanwhile, on the back of the cabin... there was that teal ink again. It slowly slithers its way until the points it sees (YES IT ACTUALLY SEES) Marie.

"Poor guy isn't feeling alright... I need to help him, no matter what." Marie said in a determined tone. The teal ink got into a position (it does that too), and it made a quiet gurgling noise as it did so.

Marie ended up hearing it. She looked around, and even behind, but she saw nothing.

"Am I being watched? What the squid is that noi-" Marie started, but she got jumped by the ink as it got stuck on her face, and Marie dropped her parasol in the process. The teal ink was covering Marie's entire face, so no one, even though no one else is here, would be able to see how she was feeling.

Marie was on her back, her legs flailing all over the place as she struggled to get the ink off her face, muffled screams being heard as she did so.

Time went by, no one was coming. Marie's kicking gotten slower, and she was giving up on trying to get the ink off. Soon, she got too weak as the ink slowly began to take over her body.

Marie stood up, her eyes closed, and a small frown on her face as she was adjusting to this place again. The teal ink was around Marie's right ear, not wanting to come off. Soon, Marie slowly smiled, but...

was a sinister giggle let out?

Marie opened her eyes, and they were no longer golden... instead, they were a nasty teal, just like that ink. Soon, Marie shows an evil grin, all of her teeth showing. Her ink color was also teal, no longer lime green.

 **"Heh heh heh... *bzrt* I'm... BAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKK!"** A voice screamed loudly, which came from Marie. It was a mixture of her normal voice, and another voice that was known all too well by the Agents of the NSS. And that voice was none other than...

Commander Tartar.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew, glad that's settled. So now, guys. It's time for a question where YOU get to decide what'll happen next. The one with the most votes will be in the second after next chapter after this one.**

 **Here's the question: When Commander Tartar battles everyone as his brainwashed Marie form, what should be the clothing he/she (it?) would wear?**

 **1\. The casual pop star clothes, but teal instead of lime green.**

 **2\. Like Callie's uniform when battling Octavio in the story mode of Splatoon 2, but with Marie, and... it's teal, for crying out loud.**

 **Let me know what you think! Stay Fresh, y'all, and see you another time! ;)**


	4. Victim (Bonus)

**Bet you didn't see this one coming, did you ;)? This is a bonus chapter, thanks to some reviews who actually gave a suggestion for me. Note this wasn't going to be in it, but I decided it should be here anyway.**

 **But here's a bonus chapter. Enjoy it. :D**

* * *

Sonic tried calling Redd a few times. He didn't pick up, but he did text him back by saying "Could you leave me alone for a bit?".

And Sonic completely understood. As much as he liked to help out his new friend, he knew that sometimes... things can be solved if people were by themselves, just to take some time off.

Sonic also did Turf Wars to pass the time. He was already experienced in battles before, so that's why he had the Dark Tetra Dualies already. The series of the Dualies is one of the best, since they allow you to do a dodge roll. And the Dark Tetra and the Light Tetra Dualies allow four small rolls.

As an Inkling, he is very happy to see that he was having fun, along with his team mates and the opposing team as well. Turf Wars are meant for fun matches, and the Ranked matches are for the more competitive, serious Inklings.

And Redd was also into Turf Wars. But his depression prevented him from wanting to participate in one...

* * *

Sonic walks from the tower, after being in his fourth Turf War match since he just moved in. Since he was new, he also tried the basic weapons like the Splattershot and Splat Roller. It was worth trying out other weapons to see which one works the best for you.

"Phew... participating in these battles sure does take up a lot of energy." Sonic said to himself, a big smile on his face from the amount of fun he had. These battles can help his parents out a lot, since they need to pay annually in order to stay here in Inkopolis Square.

And Sonic was also happy to see that _Octolings_ were joining in on the fun. He knew giving Octolings a chance was a good thing since he heard that the Calamari Inkantation saves (most of) them from the brainwashing.

And they're living their life just like Inklings do. After all, Octolings are very similar to Inklings, just some minor differences.

As Sonic looked around to see all the happy people in the Square... he suddenly heard a scream. It was... a female.

 _"Huh? What was that noise?"_ Sonic thought. He decided to come closer to the source of the scream. He kept walking, and soon started jogging, to see where the noise was coming from. He finally took his attention to a small corner, and it was pretty wide as well.

There were two Inkling boys. The first one had slick, yellow hair. And the other one had blue, short hair. But... there was also someone in front of those boys.

It was an Octoling girl. This Octoling was Redd's shy friend, Aaliyah.

"Heh heh... we got our catch, Barry. The girl thought she could run away!" The blue haired guy laugh.

"She's an Octoling, Billy. They're obviously no better than us Inklings." The yellow hair squid reminded.

"T-That's not true... w-we're similar creatures." Aaliyah said quietly.

"You _really_ don't remember us, don't you?" Billy teased as he came closer to the shy Octoling, who was slowly backing away. Sonic stood behind, watching their moves.

 _"These guys must be up to no good..."_ Was what Sonic was thinking. He couldn't stand bullies, and he also couldn't stand seeing people _getting_ bullied.

"Remember the pole? Right over there?" Barry asked as he pointed to a very high pole in the distance.

"You were gonna climb it! To prove yourselves!" Billy added.

"N-No I wasn't..." Aaliyah admitted.

"Why is that? Are you SCARED?" Barry asked loudly, a wide smirk on his face.

"Y-Yes, actually. I'm _am_ scared. _Very_ scared." Aaliyah confessed. Billy shoves Aaliyah, making her fall. All Billy and Barry did was laugh at her, and Sonic was beyond surprised.

"That's what I thought, you big baby! You really want to see your mommy again, don't ya!" Billy chuckled. All Aaliyah did was let out a quiet whimper.

"Go back underground where you belong, you filthy Octarian." Barry commanded.

"I-I lived in a place that was better than the underground..." Aaliyah said, trying her best not to hide her fear.

"And what is that place? Your little corner? That won't get you anywhere, you know!" Barry shouted. Sonic got angrier with each passing sentence they were saying.

 _"These guys are not very nice..."_ Sonic thought, and he let out an angry sigh.

"Now, come with us. You're climbing that pole. Or we'll _force_ you to." Billy said as he grabs Aaliyah by her arms.

"N-No..." Aaliyah mumbled. Billy drops Aaliyah on the ground and delivers a hard slap across her face.

"You better stay quiet, or you'll fear a more worse punishment." Billy demanded. Sonic couldn't take it anymore. That innocent Octoling was gonna get hurt if no one will do anything. He had to take the chance.

"Hey! Leave that girl alone!" Sonic shouted as he came to the bullies. They look at Sonic and smirk.

"Ooh, look what we got here! A protecter of this girl?" Barry teased.

"You know darn well you shouldn't do that to anyone." Sonic exclaimed.

"Well, before we put this on any longer... we should introduce ourselves." Billy said, and then he waves his arm in some kind of motion, identical to an ocean wave.

"I'm Billy, and this is my pal, Barry." The blue Inkling blurted out, introducing himself. And Barry just smirks and waves. And then Billy got into a pose, showing the logo on the back of his jacket.

"We call ourselves the Blitz Fritz." Billy exclaimed, his mean smile shooting daggers right at Sonic.

"It still should've been called the Fritz Blitz..." Barry mumbled.

"Quiet, you imbecile." Billy commanded.

"You shouldn't go out and be so mean to people. I hate seeing people hurt innocent girls." Sonic said angrily.

"Well, she's an Octoling. You know, the enemy of our culture." Billy reminded.

"Octolings are nice now! They are freed from brainwashing!" Sonic shouted.

"One song is only gonna do so much." Barry groaned.

"Now, stay out of our business. We have something to-" Billy said as he turned around. But when he did, he noticed that Aaliyah was gone.

"YOU SQUIDIOT! You let her get away!" Billy screamed.

" _You two_ were the ones trying to hurt her!" Sonic yelled.

"We don't take lightly with people who are stopping us from doing what we do." Barry said angrily. And he pulled out Dapple Dualies Nouveau. And Billy pulled out an Inkbrush.

"Now's my time." Sonic mumbled, and he turned into his squid form and super jumps away.

"Heads up, Barry. We got a runner." Billy said with a smirk.

"We'll find him, Billy. We're the Fritz Blitz." Barry replied, smirking back.

"Not like that! It's Blitz Fritz!" Billy yelled.

"Look, that's too confusing, alright?!" Barry yelled back.

* * *

Time has passed. Sonic luckily managed to escape those two bullies, and he was taking a break, sitting at a small table. He looks at a dark alleyway in another corner, and...

he saw pink tentacles. It looked like the same one that Aaliyah had.

Sonic walks to the alleyway, and he was right. The same Octoling that was being bullied was sitting in a corner of the alleyway, all by herself.

"Hey, Miss? Are you alright?" Sonic asked as he came a little closer. Aaliyah noticed Sonic, so she scooted a little bit away from him.

"It's okay, don't be shy. I will not hurt you." Sonic reassured.

"O-Okay..." Aaliyah replied. But her voice was barely even heard. Sonic sat down next to her.

"You feeling alright?" Sonic asked. Aaliyah slowly nodded.

"I'm glad I was able to help you out there. I hate seeing people getting bullied. Let alone seeing bullies in general." Sonic explained.

"Y-Yeah..." Aaliyah said quietly, still looking away from him.

"So, what's your name?" Sonic asked.

"Aaliyah." The innocent Octoling said.

"That's such a nice name. I'm Sonic, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Aaliyah." Sonic replied with a smile on his face.

"T-Thanks... and also, thanks for... s-saving me from those bullies..." Aaliyah thanked, but her voice was very quiet, so it was barely possible for Sonic to understand what she was saying.

"Were you always shy?" Sonic asked. Aaliyah nodded as a response.

"I... I'm glad you're... here with me right now..." She mumbled.

"Hey, it's no problem, Aaliyah." Sonic said, smile still there. And then, Sonic heard Aaliyah's stomach growl. The innocent Octoling put one of her hands on her stomach after the growl was over.

"Are you hungry?" Sonic asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"I was about to go back home soon. To get myself something to eat." Aaliyah responded. Sonic got into a thinking pose, and then he smiles once he had an idea.

"Stay here for a second. I'll be right back." He said as he stood up and left.

"Okay..." Aaliyah mumbled again.

* * *

Even more time has passed. Sonic walks back to Aaliyah while holding a Crusty Seanwich.

"Here. Something to hold you over." Sonic said as he holds the Seanwich to her. Aaliyah finally looks at Sonic, her beautiful cyan eyes making Sonic blush a tiny bit.

"Y-You don't have to." Aaliyah said, not wanting Sonic to do that just for her.

"I insist. It's in my DNA to be nice to people." Sonic insisted, showing a kind smile. Aaliyah grabbed the Seanwich gently.

"T-Thank you..." She mumbled. Sonic sat down next to her again as she started slowly munching on her given food.

"We should be friends. Then we can stay in touch with each other." Sonic suggested.

"Y-You'll r-really be my... f-friend?" Aaliyah asked after she gulps another bite.

"Sure! You're honestly really cool!" Sonic complimented. Finally, Aaliyah manages to show a small smile.

"I'm so happy..." She said with her eyes closed gleefully. Sonic gives Aaliyah a handshake, and she accepts.

Another new friendship has bonded.

* * *

 **A/N: No, Billy and Barry are not major characters. Just two random bullies. Here's a fun fact: most of the people that bully Aaliyah are males, wether it's an Inkling or an Octoling.**

 **But I hoped you enjoyed this surprising bonus. Stay Fresh! :D**


	5. Double Date

**And the next chapter of Depressink is here :D. This is when the REAL stuff starts kicking in. The action will be when this story nears its end. But for now, I'm gonna make this one, that you guys will hopefully enjoy XD.**

 **But before we get started, it's time to announce the winner of this vote (that no one participated in). The winner is...**

 **OPTION #1!**

 **It may not be shown, but my friend gave me voted on Roblox. So sorry if the vote you were looking for isn't there (I'm looking at you, Guest).**

 **Anyway, here is the chapter! Hope ya like it! :)**

* * *

Redd was once again lying down on his bed. He took off his Squidvader Cap and threw it across the room, hitting a wall and landing on the floor. He wasn't a fan of jokes that bring him to stuff that is considered offensive or personal.

Seeing that really made him blow up. And with Marie almost blurting out the reason for his depression... it wasn't making things any better.

And Redd also felt bad for Sonic. He wanted to help, but Redd didn't even give him a chance.

"*sigh* I wonder what's going on right now..." Redd thought.

* * *

*scene: outside New Albacore Hotel*

Tartar, still controlling Marie, was exploring around the city. Marie's pop star clothes were being worn, but the color was teal instead of lime green like always. That explains her hair also being part teal, and her signature headpiece being controlled by this maniac of a phone.

 **"Such worthless specimens. Blegh."** Tartar scoffed as he rolls his eyes. He looked at the building for a second before he just sighs.

 **"If Number 10,008 cannot be harmed... I guess I'll go for his friends,"** Tartar thought, **"Maybe that Agent 4 person who did that little 'team attack' on me. Heh, we'll see how a team attack does when I'm through with you!"**

Tartar walks inside the building, and he explores around the many floors. And Inkling or Octoling that made contact with him just freaked out a little since they thought it was Marie, but looking a little different. In a bad way.

Tartar heard some chattering on the seventh floor. The third room, to be exact. So he held out his hand, and a a line of teal ink was there. Now Tartar was seeing inside the ink itself. Then the ink slid inside the door.

What Tartar heard was a man's voice, and a woman's voice. But also the voice of a teen, who eventually said "Redd". The genocidal phone's attention mostly came to the man and woman.

Tartar retreated the ink, and was now seeing inside Marie again.

 **"Hmm... those must be the friends of that Agent 4 person."** Tartar said to himself. He reached behind himself, and he... felt something. When he grabbed it and looked at it himself, he saw that it was a Hero Charger. Tartar evilly smiles when he looks at it.

 **"Perfect. The plan starts here. I'll lure Agent 4 to a little place. Then I will get my REVENGE!"** He laughed. But then he quickly stopped himself to not alert anyone that would be nearby.

So Tartar just turns into the squid form, and slowly squishes away from being seen in the public.

* * *

*scene: Sonic's room*

Sonic sat on his bed, smiling as he looked at his contacts. He just made friends with Aaliyah by saving her from a couple bullies. I guess not all Inklings can be the nicest. There has to be some mean people out there.

But at least Octolings are also nice. They're just like Inklings, but just a different species. Why did lots of Inklings hate them back then?

 _"That girl seemed very nice. I can't wait to see what other friends Redd had made."_ Sonic thought. Earlier, after Aaliyah finished her given Seanwich, Sonic told Aaliyah that he knows Redd, and she responded that she does, too.

That made Sonic wonder who Redd's other friends are.

The thought was interrupted when he heard the doorbell ring.

"I wonder who's coming at this time." Sonic said to himself. His parents were a little busy, so he decided to open the door and see who it is. When he opened the door, he was greeted by Pearl and Marina.

"Hello, Sonic." The members of Off the Hook greeted.

"Oh. Hi girls." Sonic greeted.

"Do you know how Redd is doing? After... that?" Marina asked with worry.

"Actually, no. He said he wanted to be by himself." Sonic replied.

"Oh. I see." Marina said.

"So what are you doing now, dude?" Pearl asked.

"I'm thinking of just hanging around in my room. Relax for a bit." Sonic explained.

"Well, Sonic, uh... I wanted to ask you something." Pearl said, a bit nervous as she spoke.

"Hm? What is it?" Sonic asked.

"I-I was wondering if you want to go on a date with me!" Pearl blurted out. Sonic seemed surprised. His face turned a dark shade of his ink color.

"What? But _I_ was gonna ask if you would go on a date with _me!_ " Marina suddenly yelled. Sonic's face turned brighter by that.

"Likely story! I asked him first!" Pearl shouted. And she and Marina started arguing with each other again, with some roasts every now and then.

"Wait! Stop! I got an idea!" Sonic screamed, getting both of the idols' attention.

"How about I go on a date... with both of you?" Sonic suggested. Pearl and Marina looked at each other for a second before they just nod.

"Sure, I guess. We'll be waiting for you." Marina said.

"Meet us at our apartment at 8:00 tonight, aight, dude?" Pearl added.

"You got it!" Sonic replied with a slight nod. The members of Off the Hook leave Sonic's apartment. Once the door shuts, the idols glare at each other.

"You better back off, Marina, because Sonic is gonna be mine." Pearl threatened.

"Nope, not true. Sonic's gonna be mine." Marina retorted back. Instead of arguing some more just to get the attention of everyone else around, they just scoff, turn their heads and cross their arms. They walk back without speaking to each other.

There was a potted plant near the front, and a sanitized squid squished out from behind it.

Yep. Tartar watched the whole thing.

 **"I'll just need to wait for the right moment. This is perfect. The beginning of my revenge plan starts here."** He silently laughed to himself, and no one else even heard it.

This couldn't turn out good.

* * *

 ***time skip: 7:58 PM***

Sonic packs some stuff in a small backpack, just in case he will stay a while longer than he will intend to.

"Mom! Dad! I'm going out!" Sonic called out.

"Okay, sweetie. Don't stay out too long. Call us if you need anything!" His mom yelled back.

"I will!" Sonic shouted. Since it was cold, he decided to wear his blue hoodie. He zippers it up, and then opens the entrance to his apartment.

As soon as Sonic left... before the door fully shut, the same squid form Tartar had just slipped through before it shut.

 **"Heh heh... you're mine now."** Tartar whispered, and he slowly moves some more in the squid form.

* * *

 ***scene skip: Pearl and Marina's apartment***

"Um... Pearlie? Why are you making popcorn right now?" Marina asked as she was staring at her tiny partner. The Inkling was looking at the popcorn that was currently in the microwave.

"Oh! That's just because I'm planning to watch a movie. What's a date without movies?" Pearl responded.

"Oh, ok. I've been thinking of making some late dinner as well." Marina added.

"That seems okay." Pearl said with a shrug. But their glares were being shared at each other as Marina walks away. Which one would win to be with Sonic?

After some more time, the doorbell rings.

"I got it!" Marina insisted.

"NO! I'LL GET IT!" Pearl screeched. They reached the door, and then they started wrestling, just like little children. (Look, I know this is WAY out of character. My friend wanted these two to be in love with him, it was not my idea.)

"Uh... everything okay in there?" Sonic asked. This made the idols stop their wrestling, so they open the door together. They greet Sonic with a wide smile on their face.

"I'm glad you came, Sonic. Happy to see you here." Marina said gleefully.

"Same here, girls." Sonic responded as he steps inside the apartment.

"So, you know what you're gonna be doin'?" Pearl asked.

"No, not really." Sonic replied with a shrug.

"Well, I already got a movie prepared! For all of us to watch!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Ooh! That's awesome!" Sonic cheered.

"Yeah! Everyone likes a good movie." Marina added.

"So, what movie are we gonna be watching?" Sonic asked.

"We're gonna be watching "The House With a Clock In Its Walls". I haven't seen it yet!" Pearl explained.

"I think I've seen part of it. But it'll be nice to see the whole thing! Especially with you two!" Sonic said happily. Rapid beeping was heard.

"Ooh! The popcorn is ready!" Pearl shouted, and she walks to the microwave.

"Oh, Pearlie! We don't know what kind of popcorn Sonic likes!" Marina reminded.

"Well, what should I put on it? Cheese? Caramel? Mayonnaise? Butter?" Pearl suggested.

"Mayonnaise?" Marina asked, pretty confused by that.

"Mayo it is then." Pearl responded.

"DO NOT PUT MAYO ON THAT POPCORN, PEARL!" Marina screamed.

"W-Well... um... I'll just have the popcorn plain, is that's alright." Sonic said meekly. The idols groaned in defeat. If only they asked like a normal person would.

But good friends can argue at times.

* * *

 ***2 hours later***

The movie is over. The credits were playing, which no one paid attention to.

"Wow! That was a good movie." Pearl complimented.

"Pretty funny, too!" Marina added.

"You could say that again." Sonic said as he buts in on the compliments.

"Now, how about I make some dinner for everyone?" Marina suggested.

"Ooh, yes please! Just let me remind my parents that I'm gonna stay for a little longer." Sonic requested.

"Sure thing. It's gonna be a while until it's ready anyway." Pearl said with a shrug. Then she walks away, and Marina does too to start her dinner.

Sonic grabs his phone from his pocket, and he texts his parents about his small plan.

* * *

 ***1 hour later***

The dinner turned out... pretty decent. Pearl and Marina tried their best not to blow it when trying to talk to Sonic, just to prevent themselves from arguing and potentially ruining the date.

But there was something Sonic found confused. He picks up his phone and goes to the texting app. His parents haven't texted him back.

That was very unusual. Sonic's parents always text back when he sends a message.

"So, Sonic. Did you enjoy our time together?" Marina asked as she comes to him.

"O-Oh, yeah! It was a very fun time with you two! Who knew there was more to you than just music?" Sonic replied.

"We're glad, dude. We hope we can do this again another time!" Pearl cheered.

"Yeah. We will, I just know it." Sonic said, a bit uneasily though.

"Hey Sonic, you okay? You look worried." Marina pointed out.

"I-I need to go home. I think my parents are worried about me." Sonic responded, stuttering a bit.

"Oh. We get it. Parent issues. We understand. Totally." Pearl said as she nods.

"W-Well, see you later, girls. Have a good night!" Sonic exclaimed as he waves. Pearl and Marina wave back as Sonic walks away. Sonic reaches the door, then opens it. He stood still for a moment before he walks out of the apartment and closes the door to prevent cold air from coming through.

When the door was fully shut, Sonic jogged back to his apartment. He was worried on why his parents didn't text him back.

Maybe they were asleep. Or worse...

* * *

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Sonic shouted as he opens the door. The lights were off, so he turned them on as he locks the door behind him. But when the lights are on...

his parents weren't found.

"Mom. Dad. You didn't answer my text. I'm starting to get worried." Sonic said, a bit annoyed. Sonic waited for an answer.

...

But there was nothing.

"Mom? Dad? P-Please? Do you h-hear me?" Sonic asked, now getting scared. And then... his phone started ringing.

But as the ringtone was being heard, these words were shouted:

 **"PICK UP."**

Sonic was now extremely scared, so he picked it up anyway. He put the phone to his ear.

"H-Hello?" He asked nervously.

"Oh, Sonic! I'm so glad you picked up!" Marie's voice was heard.

"Marie! Thank cod it's you. Do you know where my parents are?" Sonic requested.

"Oh, your parents. When you first moved in." Marie repeated.

"Yes. Have you seen them anywhere? They're not home." Sonic asked.

"Oh, you silly little squid..." Marie giggled. But the giggle turned into an evil laugh. And Marie's voice was changing into a robotic tone. And it seemed more menacing than usual. This made Sonic start to panic.

 **"I HAVE THEM."** The voice yelled.

"M-MARIE?! W-What's going on?!" Sonic yelled in fear.

 **"Listen here, ya pathetic life form,"** The voice said, **"If you wanna *bzrt* have your parents back, I suggest you get some friends and go to the Deepsea Metro. I will be waiting for you."**

"W-Who are you?! What have you done with Marie?!" Sonic shouted.

 **"That's for me to know, and for you to find out. If you don't come in time... I'll kill them."** The voice continued threatening him.

"Y-You wouldn't!" Sonic yelped.

 **"Then come, or else your parents will meet their fate."** The voice responded. Before Sonic can reply back, the person already hung up. Sonic put his phone on his table and fell to the floor.

"I-I need to tell Redd. He will know what's going on!" Sonic exclaimed. He didn't want to do this, but he once again left his apartment late at night. His parents wouldn't allow it, but he had no choice.

He needed to get Redd in order to save them.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, there we go. Like I mentioned some times before, I'm feeling better now, so I will try to remember to work on some more chapters. I still have to decide if the next one is the last one... or the one _after_ the next one. ;)**

 **Anyway, Stay Fresh and see y'all next time! :D**


	6. Time Is Ticking

**Welp, Sheldon's Picks have been out, and I can't wait to try them out sometime :D. (Already tried N'Zap 83. Iz good.) I'm also excited for Springfest (well, like I am with any other Splatfest that comes XD).**

 **Hope y'all get to participate just as much as I do every month. And I will celebrate this occasion with another chapter to Depressink, where the climax is reaching in. (Or it might've already in the last chapter :p)**

 **Here we go. Enjoy it, guys! ;)**

* * *

 ***scene: mysterious laboratory in Deepsea Metro***

 **(one more note: this scene right here takes place the same time as Sonic's date with Pearl and Marina).**

 **"Heh heh... I have you now. You two have no escape."** Tartar said with an evil smile as 2 sanitized Octolings were by him. Sonic's parents were surrounded by many sanitized Octarians.

They have heard about Octarians many times before in their life. And they even know about how the Calamari Inkantation freed Octolings from the brainwashing effect. But never in their life have they seen a green Octarian before.

"Who are you? This isn't how Marie would act! Explain yourself!" Sonic's mom yelled.

 **"Well, I wouldn't really give a specific note on who I am. I have been living a WAY long time ago."** Tartar explained while shrugging his shoulders.

"What exactly do you want with us, though?" Sonic's dad asked.

 **"Eh heh heh... that's exactly where I was getting to."** Tartar chuckled, the teal eyes glaring so hard at the couple, they were like knives.

The Octarians got into a threatening position. Everything was dark, it was very difficult to see who was there. But the teal ink was so bright, it was very obvious to see who was there at this moment.

"Why Marie though? You do realize she's a famous pop star, right?" Sonic's father groaned.

 **"Marie? A pop star? Well, I guess you could say this was a good pick then."** Tartar boasted as he looked down, then turns back to them, **"Anyway, the main reason was because she has a certain... relationship with someone that I am after."**

And then, they heard a phone buzz, along with a basic notification sound. Sonic's mom looked down, and she noticed it was her phone that was buzzing.

She reached into her pocket and picked it up. But Tartar immediately walked to her, an angry look on his face.

 **"Who is texting you at this time?"** He asked.

"Well, you won't say who you truly are, so I don't think we will either." Sonic's mom retorted back. In a swift movement, Tartar grabs the phone. But before the adult Inkling girl can go out and try to take it back, Tartar changed into his squid form and super jumped away from her.

When he landed, he turned back into Marie's humanoid form, and opens up the texting app. The sanitized Octarians put their weapons up to the parents' faces, preventing them from moving.

 **"Allow me to read this text for you peasants,"** Tartar offered, and ignored any incoming response, **"It says here, 'Sonic: I'm going out for a little bit. Won't be back until late at night. See you later, and I love you both.' 3 heart emojis."**

"Oh my cod, that's our son! We have to go back home! To make sure he's okay!" Sonic's dad shouted.

 **"Unfortunately, that won't be happening. Until I'm through, you guys are staying with me for a _long_ time." **Tartar said, and then evilly laughs.

"But that's out _son!_ Don't you know what it's like to be taking care of someone?!" Sonic's mother screamed.

 **"Duh. I was being taken care of _by_ someone who cared for me," **Tartar exclaimed, **"And he got wiped out by the ocean waves, along with every other creature alive. And what we got to replace them, instead of anything smart... was _you._ "**

"Wait a second. The humans! You were something that the humans knew about when they were alive!" Sonic's mom exclaimed.

 **"Technically, the only human I've ever truly known was the person who created me,"** Tartar pointed out, **"I was hoping the wait was finally over as I was passed down on this land for eons. I wanted to help new life forms, and give them human knowledge."**

"But if the humans are gone, then that should be you telling us about human stuff." Sonic's dad said.

 **"That's the point! The Inklings and Octolings are lifeforms that don't deserve the knowledge of the humans! Not even close!"** Tartar yelled.

"But why not? We're kinda like them." Sonic's mom reminded.

 **"Well, allow me to _tell you_ some reasons," **Tartar said sarcastically, **"Let's start by- oh, I don't know... your needless wars for claiming land, and your obsession with every single clothing piece that is out on a nearby store! Do you _really_ think people that like that are _worthy?"_**

"Erm... well..." Sonic's mom was at a loss for words.

 **"Exactly. Even you don't know."** Tartar growled in anger.

"Look, our son just texted us about a plan he had. Let us answer him." Sonic's dad commanded.

 **"No can do. Your son is just gonna be alone for now."** Tartar replied.

"WHO ARE YOU AFTER?! JUST TELL US!" Sonic's mom shrieked.

 **"Ah, yes. My victim."** Tartar chuckled, and then walks over to the Inkling girl.

"You're sick in the head. Seriously." She ranted.

 **"Anyway... have any of you heard of a legendary Inkling known as... Agent 4?"** Tartar asked.

"Nope. I never heard an Agent 4 before in my life." Sonic's dad replied.

 **"Heh, I knew something like that was gonna be your answer."** Tartar snickered. He snapped his fingers, and two sanitized Octolings grab the couple from the side, making them yelp.

 **"Alright, go get the *bzrt* trap. Make sure these two have no way of escaping."** Tartar commanded to another Octoling who was standing right by him.

"YES SIR." The Octoling said in a robotic tone, saluting as well. And then she walks away, with the other two Octolings holding their captive tightly.

Once everything was gone, Tartar evilly smiled. Yet it gives off that similar vibe of Marie's toothy grin... but much more sinister.

 **"Heh heh heh... just you wait, Agent 4. I know your little friend. Once I get both of you here, you're gonna taste a sweet pack of revenge from Commander Tarie."**

The he grabs the Splat Charger behind him. He aims to the left side of him, charges up a shot, then unleashes it. He turns into the sanitized squid form, and swims along that trail of sanitized goop.

* * *

 ***3 hours later, still after this moment***

There was another part of this laboratory. The walls were white, along with a blue tiled floor. And everything was much more lighter, so it was easier to see.

Tartar walks in, being greeted by a duo of sanitized Octolings, who just said "SEEK AND DESTROY", and saluted once they saw their "leader" walk in. Since his phone form is permanently destroyed, Marie was his only option.

Even though he had many more options, his best bet was Marie since he heard that both of them like each other a lot.

As he walks to the end of the hallway, he evilly smiles once he saw what was in front of him.

Both of Sonic's parents were inside giant, rectangular, glass tanks. Separate ones, but next to each other. They were unconscious, and they were floating inside since the entire tank was filled to the brim with that same sanitized goo.

 **"Heh heh... guess you shouldn't have been so negative about not knowing where Agent 4 is."** Tartar said with a shrug. But of course, the couple was unconscious, so Tartar was more likely talking to himself than he is talking to them.

Even though his revenge was mostly on Caleb, or Agent 8, he wanted to see some of his friends suffer before truly going after him and finish the Octoling Agent once and for all.

 **"Well... now that we have you unhearable... and unseeable... I'm gonna call your son. And I'm gonna see the looks on your face to see when he _dies._ " **Tartar threatened. He reaches into his pocket, and he still had Sonic's mother's phone.

Tartar digs through the contacts. Eventually, he finds Sonic. But then he realized that he'll trick Sonic with the number anyway, so he thought that was way too cliche.

So, after moments of looking up stuff and some fixing and hacking, he eventually calls Sonic by... a random number.

The dial tone was heard. Sonic wasn't picking up yet. This in turn made Tartar get impatient.

More time went by. The same beep was heard. But no one picked up. Tartar finally got past his waiting limit. Especially on an Inkling. He inhales deeply, and then shouts:

 **"PICK UP."**

If Tartar wanted to complete his plan, he needed to make sure Sonic knew about this, so he can get lured into Tartar's fully planned trap.

"H-Hello?" A voice asked. Sonic finally picked up. Tartar evilly smiled.

He pulls the phone away from his ear and clears his throat. After doing it enough times, he was now talking in Marie's regular voice.

"Oh, Sonic! I'm so glad you picked up!" He said innocently. After the innocent tone he let out, he smirks.

"Marie! Thank cod it's you. Do you know where my parents are?" Sonic requested.

"Oh, your parents. When you first moved in." Tartar repeated, his evil smile growing wider.

"Yes. Have you seen them anywhere? They're not home." Sonic asked.

"Oh, you silly little squid..." Tartar giggled. And then, the giggle turned into an evil laugh. Tartar's voice was finally coming back, mixing with Marie's voice as well, just like the last time. Tartar could tell that Sonic felt very worried. But it was perfect for him.

 **"I HAVE THEM."** Tartar shouted.

"M-MARIE?! W-What's going on?!" Sonic yelled in fear.

 **"Listen here, ya pathetic life form,"** Tartar said, "If you wanna *bzrt* have your parents back, I suggest you get some friends and go to the Deepsea Metro. I will be waiting for you."

"W-Who are you?! What have you done with Marie?!" Sonic shouted.

 **"That's for me to know, and for you to find out. If you don't come in time... I'll kill them."** Tartar continued threatening the poor Inkling. As a genocidal phone, he didn't really care.

"Y-You wouldn't!" Sonic yelped.

 **"Then come, or else your parents will meet their fate."** Tartar responded. Before Sonic can reply back, Tartar hangs up. He put the phone on a small desk that was standing nearby the cages.

 **"And now, Sonic... get ready for the toughest battle you will ever face."** Tartar said to himself, and then evilly laughs. In the middle of his laugh, he started glitching out, since some "bzrt"s were made as he kept on going.

This was his only revenge plan on Agent 4.

* * *

*present time, 11:00 PM. scene: Redd's room*

Redd was asleep. But he was having a tough time trying. He was twisting and turning continuously, which he hasn't done in a long time.

As he continued to try and get some sleep, he heard his door knock. Along with a voice. It was Sonic.

"Redd, it's me, Sonic. Please answer. I need your help." He begged on the other side of the door.

Ever so slightly, Redd got up and tiredly walks to his entrance door. He opens it, and shivers a bit when a bit of the cold wind gets inside.

"Come in, Sonic." Redd muttered, and then yawns. Sonic goes inside, and stands next to Redd. Redd immediately closes his door so he doesn't let anymore cold air get in.

"What's wrong, Sonic?" Redd asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Redd, I need your help. It's my parents. T-They've been kidnapped." Sonic cried. Redd's eyes widened once he heard the "kidnapped" part.

"Who did it, Sonic? Tell me." Redd asked again as he put his hands on Sonic's shoulders. Sonic felt a bit anxious. It was late at night, and yet he was so worried on what will happen if the threaten wasn't fulfilled.

"Dude, I need an answer. Please tell me." Redd pleaded as he shook his new friend slightly.

"I-I was walking back from my date with Pearl and Marina, and then my phone rang," Sonic explained, "So I picked it up, and it was Marie. As we kept on talking, her voice was changing to a robotic tone. The robot said I'll have to come to the Deepsea Metro and save them, or else the robot will kill them."

Redd listened with every word, just like Sonic did when Redd was telling him about his parents.

"A robot telling you to go to Deepsea Metro? Sonic, I know who has them." Redd said.

"W-Who?" Sonic asked.

"That's Commander Tartar, a phone that one of my friends encountered," Redd replied, "He nearly tried to destroy the world, and he failed. He came back somehow to try and kill that friend again. But my sister and I ended up stopping him. He's back again?"

"Yes, I think that's him! My parents will die if we don't do something! And I think he's doing something to Marie as well! Please Redd, you gotta help me!" Sonic pleaded. Redd was worried about everything Sonic was saying.

Redd got more nervous when he heard that Tartar was gonna do something to Marie. Redd finally lost his sad, depressed look.

Now he looks furious. He stomped his right foot roughly, letting go of his friend.

"This battle ends NOW!" Redd shouted to himself. Despite being nighttime, Redd ran over to his room. Sonic was confused on why he suddenly did that.

When Redd came back, which only took 10 seconds, he was changed into his Hero gear, and his Hero Shot was held in his hands.

"Listen, Sonic. Tartar is very dangerous, so I want you to stick by me," Redd explained, "So when he sees you, just do a signal, and I will help you out. Remember, we're not only doing this for your parents and Marie... but for the fate of Inkopolis Square as well."

"You got it, Redd! I will stick by you! For the world!" Sonic cheered as he shows a small smile.

"Okay, go to your apartment and grab your Dark Tetra Dualies. I'll meet with you at Inkopolis Square. The middle of the tower. Aight?" Redd requested.

"Definitely!" Sonic said with a nod, and immediately ran out. Redd looked up at the ceiling, thinking about what was currently happening.

 _"Tartar... what did you do with Marie? And why do you need my new friend's parents?"_ The red Inkling thought.

* * *

 ***back at the laboratory***

Tartar was sitting down, right near the two tanks containing Sonic's parents.

"INTRUDERS INKOMING. PREPARE FOR BATTLE." A sanitized Octoling warned.

 **"Heh heh... knew they would come. Time to show them a little payback."** Tartar evilly chuckled.

"INTRUDER BREAK-IN MODE: EASY. PREPARE FASTER." The same Octoling said. Tartar got angry once hearing that.

 **"You fools didn't even-"** He stammered. Tartar slowly walks to a larger desk, which had a lot of science equipment on it.

Tartar banged the desk so hard with both of his fists, that the equipment jumps and falls on their side.

 **"MAAAAAAAAAAAAN MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILK!"** Tartar screamed at the top of his lungs, and then bangs the desk 3 more times, some of the stuff falling off the desk.

 **"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD D**N IT!"** Tartar bellowed again.

But he had to get prepared for this battle.

* * *

 **A/N: The last lines Tartar shouted is a reference to a Splatoon streamer that you might know XD. Anyway, the next chapter is gonna be the battle between Sonic and Redd, and Tartar. Also, Guest. Thanks for the fan-made name of "Commander Tarie". It's interesting, yet cheesy in a good way. :p**

 **Anyway, hope y'all have a good day. Stay Fresh! ;)**


	7. Showtime

**Here it is. The final chapter to one of the most hyped of my fanfics that I have seen so far. And I know as time ticks by, my stories will get better as long as some ideas pop in my head. ;)**

 **But it's time to end this. Enjoy it! :D**

* * *

*scene: Deepsea Metro Central Station*

After tons of walking, Redd and Sonic finally make it to the central part of the mysterious Deepsea Metro. It was pretty chilly, especially considering it was nighttime out, so Sonic decided to wear a hoodie. And Redd felt fine since he was wearing his specific Hero Gear.

They had their hands tight around their specific weapons, and their ink tank strapped on tight. They were ready for what this place has to offer.

"So, are you sure that they're here?" Sonic asked.

"Well, one of my friends have been here before. And from some further exploring when coming back, he told me that there is a laboratory somewhere around here." Redd explained.

"So you're experienced with this then." Sonic pointed out.

"Not particularly," Redd reminded, "If it's the Deepsea Metro... well, I've only been here once, and I barely got to explore it. But battling however... he, I battled lots of Octarians during my times as Agent 4. So these 'sanitized' ones won't make a difference."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Sonic said.

"Yep. But let's not waste anymore time. We gotta find that lab." Redd responded. And they began looking around the Metro. In search of it.

"Need some help, you two?" A voice asked. Redd and Sonic turned to a parked subway train that was standing there, with the door open. Then, something slithered over near the door.

It was a small, blue sea slug with a tiny conductor's cap.

"Uh, yes we do, uh... sir. We need some help with something." Sonic replied, but he felt kinda confused from what he was seeing in front of him right now. A sea slug of all things.

Well, at least it'd be better than an evil Octarian for once.

"You can call me C.Q. Cumber. I am the conductor of this train," The sea slug explained, "This subway here is connected by many lines in the Kamabo Corporation. But ever since some... *ahem* situations happened, Kamabo was running slow. But the subway still is running."

"So you know where everything about this 'Kamabo' now?" Redd asked.

"Correct," C.Q. Cumber replied, "You see, after Number 10,008 got all four thangs, he managed to be the first one to ever reach the promised land. When he came back, he told me everything that happened. It turns out... the chief of the Kamabo Corp. was tricking these fellow applicants to be part of his selfish desires. So now this subway only goes as a mode for transportation. You know, for the denizens of the deep."

"What exactly did the chief do exactly?" Sonic questioned. One of the spikes of C.Q. extended, creeping Sonic out a little. The slug pointed to a bunch of giant machine parts, along with broken glass.

"You see that over there? That's what the thangs form into," C.Q. explained, "Number 10,008 told me that those other applicants, including him, was tricked into going inside. Everyone that got in the blender has been grinded into raw material... except 10,008, of course. But still... I had no idea what the chief's true intentions were. Heck, I don't think I ever saw him in person."

"Oh gosh. That's so sad." Sonic said in a worried tone. It's true, hearing about all these innocent lives that were taken away by the telephone.

"Did Agent 8 tell you about who the telephone really was?" Redd asked as he stepped closer.

"Indeed. He told me that the phone- or... Commander Tartar, was using the lives of the underground dwellers here to destroy the world. But as it turns out, Number 10,008 prevented it from happening." C.Q. responded with a small chuckle.

"Listen. Somehow, Tartar came back, and he took control of someone I love, along with kidnapping my friend's parents. We need to get to a laboratory of some sort. Do you know where it is?" Redd demanded an answer.

"The Kamabo Laboratory? Sure, I know where it is. Now that Tartar was defeated, I managed to know where the location of it is." C.Q. answered. He extended his arm again.

"Take the tunnel right over here. When you see a green light with a door, that's where the lab is. Be careful, though. Even though Tartar is gone, but revived in your words... there's still some... threats that hang around." The sea slug warned.

"Thank you, C.Q. Cumber. That's all we need. I'll have to go now, we're in a hurry." Redd said, and then ran to the tunnel. Sonic immediately followed him to not get left behind.

"Good luck, you two." C.Q. called out.

* * *

 ***2 minutes later***

Redd and Sonic see the green light. Even though it was nearly pitch black, the door was still seeable.

"Alright, this is it. The lab is right here." Redd said.

"Okay." Sonic responded with a slight nod. Sonic put his hand on the knob, and was about to turn it and go inside the room. But before that happened...

"TARGET ACQUIRED." A robotic voice yelled. The two Inklings turn around, and they see a bunch of sanitized Octarians. It was ranging from Octotroopers, Octosnipers, Octocommanders, Missile Octocopters... even Octolings.

"Commander Tartar is busy with his situation right now. He can't bother to have you two get in his way." One of the Octolings explained, with the minor Octarians letting out angry gurgling noises.

"We have to go now. W-We have to hurry." Sonic exclaimed.

"Ope the door, and we'll be forced to shoot." The same Octoling commanded as each sanitized Octarian put their weapons up.

"Oh yeah? Well then, how about you make us?" Redd threatened.

"SEEK AND DESTROY!" They all screamed, and then they began attacking with their designated weapons. Redd quickly grabbed his Hero Shot and began shooting the many Octarians that were surrounding them.

"Hey, Sonic! I could use some help over here!" Redd shouted.

"You got it, Redd!" Sonic yelled with a smile. He twirled his Dark Tetra Dualies in his hand before shooting ink from them and rushing towards the many Octarians.

Sonic threw and Autobomb at one of the Octolings. Since that one Octoling wasn't paying attention, she got splatted.

"NEVER RETREAT, NEVER SURRENDER!" Another Octoling screamed. But the Inklings weren't backing down one bit.

More and more time passes by. Those sanitized Octarians didn't stand a chance. There were only a few more left before all the attackers are gone.

 _Ding!_

That sound. Redd and Sonic's specials are ready. With each weapon they are using, they have the Splashdown as their special.

"Alright, Sonic. Hold my hand." Redd said.

"Why?" Sonic asked.

"Trust me on this. I did this with my sister to defeat Tartar the last time." Redd responded. Sonic smiles and nods, then he holds his friend's left hand with his right.

"Now. Let's use our specials at the same time." Redd explained.

"Oh! I see where you're getting this at! Yeah, let's do it!" Sonic cheered. And the two squids activated their specials at the same time.

The remaining Octarians screamed, and they began to run away. But the time that Redd and Sonic landed with the Splashdown at the same time, the knockback of the ink was so big, that each of those Octarians were splatted easily.

"Booyah! See, now _that's_ how you do partner missions." Redd exclaimed excitedly as he pumped his fist.

"That was cool! We have to do that again sometime!" Sonic yelled happily.

"We will. Now let's go save your parents and Marie." Redd said, and they go inside the door.

* * *

 ***scene: inside the Kamabo Laboratory***

The walls were white. It was way better than in that pitch black tunnel. Plus, they could actually see.

"Redd, look! Over there!" Sonic shouted as he grabbed Redd by his arm. Sonic pointed in front of him, and Redd was surprised by what he was looking at.

Sonic's parents: each in a different tank. They were floating in the sanitized ink, unconscious.

Redd frowned and looked around. He knew that it wasn't going to be this easy.

"I'm gonna go over and rescue them." Sonic said, and then he walks over to the tube. Redd just stays still, wondering where Marie is at.

Redd kept on looking. But he saw nothing. As Sonic was walking along, Redd could've sworn he heard some charging sound.

Then his eyes widened when he saw a teal line that was making its way towards Sonic. Redd knew it would be over if it landed. So there was only one thing he could do.

"LOOK OUT!" Redd screamed, as he ran towards Sonic. Before he could respond, Redd pushed him back. And a large boom sound was heard. The two squids looked behind them, and there was a straight line of sanitized, teal ink.

They stand up, and the next thing they hear was an evil laugh. Both of them got worried. Especially Redd, since he heard that voice was a mixture of Marie's.

 **"Well, well. You two squids actually came."** The voice said. Sonic and Redd looked up, and there was a tall pillar with someone standing on it. The being turned into squid form and super jumped, and landed right in front of the two.

Redd got surprised. Tartar was controlling Marie. Her lime green ink color replaced with teal... everything was teal on her. The outlines of her dress, her leggings, her eyes... even some parts of her hair (not the gray parts).

"Tartar! What did you do with Marie?!" Redd yelled.

 **"Heh heh... nothing in particular, really. I just decided to pick her as my victim to get to you two."** Tartar replied.

"You are an awful being! You've gotten way too far with your evil doings!" Redd shouted.

"Give my parents back!" Sonic commanded.

 **"Sorry, seafood. That's not happening,"** Tartar said, **"I got you two here now, so now it's time for my revenge. I'm starting with Agent 4 because of how special he seems to be. And what better to get to him than to lure him here? And I used the one he loved in order to do it! Once I'm done with these two squids, I'm gonna make them under my control, and then Inkopolis will be all MINE!"**

"How could you do such a thing?!" Sonic shrieked.

 **"This is to avenge the humans. For everything you pathetic, dumb life forms have to offer on this planet."** Tartar exclaimed in a disgusted tone.

"I can't let you do that, Tartar." Redd said.

 **"OH, REALLY? You're gonna try and stop ME?"** Tartar laughed. But then he got surprised when Redd knocked him down.

 **"GET OFF OF ME, YOU SLIMY LITTLE SQUID!"** Tartar demanded.

"You're gonna pay for what you did. I already lost _my_ parents. I'm not gonna lose another person that I love." Redd said angrily. Tartar struggled in the red Inkling's grasp. Redd kneeled down and neared his face to Tartar's left ear, where the goo wasn't in for once.

"Marie... if you can hear me, hang in there. I'm gonna get you out of this maniac's control." Redd whispered. Tartar stopped his struggling for a second. There was a surprised look on the face.

The eyes were golden again, but every other trait was still teal.

"R... Re... Re-e... ed...?" Marie's voice was heard struggling to speak, as she was still heavily under control by someone.

"Just hang tight." Redd said softly. But then Tartar got full control again, the eyes turning back to teal. Tartar screamed and knocked Redd back.

 **"As long as I am still here, you aren't gonna save your little girlfriend!"** Tartar yelled.

"Well, we're experienced with battling, Tartar! Don't expect us to et you go so easily!" Sonic shouted.

 **"I don't expect you to anyway. Prepare to be the spectators of the image of my new world!"** Tartar laughed, and then grabbed his Hero Charger.

"This ends now." Redd said quietly.

 **"And it will end with _me_ as the victor." **Tartar snapped, and began aiming at Redd. But luckily, Redd inked a straight trail, then turned into his squid form to swim away. Even when tartar was still aiming for him, Redd barely dodged out of the way.

 **"Submit to your demise!"** Tartar demanded.

"NEVER!" Redd screamed back. Tartar noticed an Autobomb by him, so he jumped out of the way before it exploded.

But then a Burst Bomb was hit, and Tartar looked at Redd, who had a smirk on his face.

Then Sonic began shooting from his Dark Tetra Dualies. Tartar took some hits, before blocking the ink with the Charger.

Tartar threw the Charger directly at Sonic, hitting the squid in the face, knocking him back.

 **"That's what you deserve for messing with the best!"** Tartar yelled, and then laughed at him. Redd knew this was gonna be a tough battle.

Redd makes a circle of red ink with his Hero Shot, and even went for the walls. Then he took a quick dive in his ink to refill his tank.

Tartar looked at the red ink, and made a gagging sound.

 **"How DARE you ruin this lab?"** He exclaimed.

"It's called gaining momentum. With this, you'll not be able to hit me easily." Redd said with a smirk.

 **"You'll find out what happens when THINGS GET UGLY!"** Tartar screamed, and then he takes off the dress. Now the outfit that Tarie was wearing is similar to what Callie wore when she got squidnapped, except every pink part was teal (why would it).

Redd got surprised by seeing that.

 _"What the carp is this telephone thinking."_ Redd thought, an unamused look seeing that it came from this maniac.

Tartar grabbed a whistle, and then blows it. 3 sanitized Octolings came to assist him.

 **"ATTACK THESE OUTSIDERS!"** Tartar commanded. And the Octolings began attacking the squids. Redd was dealing with the Octolings. Sonic was left faace-to-face with Tartar.

"Sonic! For a quick tip, aim for the goop on the side of Marie's face! That's how Tartar is controlling him!" Redd yelled.

"Okay, Redd!" Sonic called out.

 **"Don't bother giving advice! I'm still here, and that's how It'll always be!"** Tartar shrieked. Sonic kept on inking, and runs back to wait to get a hit on Tartar.

Redd tried to run over to assist Sonic, but two of the sanitized Octolings grab him.

"Let go of me!" Redd yelled, struggling in their grasp.

Tartar aims with the Charger, and kept on looking at Sonic to snipe him. Sonic jumps high in the air by morphing from squid to kid, and Tartar releases the trigger. It wasn't a direct hit, but it was enough to sent Sonic flying back.

But Sonic grabbed his Dualies and shoots ink at the goop around Tartar's right ear. As the ink made contact, he let out a scream.

 **"ACK! Not there! Anywhere but there!"** Tartar yelled in pain. Sonic smiled, since now he knew where Tartar's weak spot was. Meanwhile, Redd kicked one of the Octolings, forcing the other one to let him go. Then Redd threw two burst bombs at the Octolings, making them fall. Redd makes a small red ink trail, and turns into his squid form and swims in it.

Redd grabbed Tartar from behind, and shot a bunch of red ink at the goop around the ear.

 **"CEASE, AGENT 4! You have no place in this world!"** Tartar shouted.

"Everyone's lives matter. You've taken Marie under control, just to use her to get your little 'advantage'." Redd said mockingly. The eyes are gold again. Marie was slowly breaking free from every touch Redd has.

"H... He... l... p..." Marie uttered.

"Fight it, Marie. You can do it." Redd whispered softly. He felt something wet on his cheeks. Redd immediately realized it was tears. The feelings of seeing his girlfriend slowly breaking free from the bad guy made him have so much hope.

The eyes are teal again. Tartar was fully under control. He kicked Redd in the stomach, and he yelled loudly. The two Octolings from earlier got up, and they were rushing towards the two Inklings.

 **"You got nowhere to hide. Give up now before you face something that you will regret."** Tartar warned.

"I won't let you." Redd said as he wipes his tears away.

"Yeah! Tell him, Redd!" Sonic yelled, and then shoots more ink from his Dualies. Tartar took the hits, and then began aiming his charger at the two.

Redd and Sonic were screaming as they began to run away from each of those hits. Tartar even tried throwing a Splat Bomb. That did some damage to the two.

Redd gripped his Hero Shot tightly, and shot at the remaining Octolings. They got easily splatted.

"This battle ends here, Tartar! You will NOT destroy our world!" Redd screamed. And he let out a battle cry as he and Sonic ran to Tartar.

"D... Do... o... n... t..." Marie's voice stuttered. One of Tartar's eyes were the normal gold before turning nasty teal again.

Tartar threw a Splat Bomb on the ground, so Redd and Sonic ran back before it explodes.

But after that, four more sanitized Octolings grabbed the two squids out of nowhere. Two grabbed Redd by both of his arms, and the other two grabbed Sonic by his arms.

Both of them struggle the hardest they can against those tight grips.

 **"I already told you. This battle ends. With _me_ as the victor," **Tartar said, **"You were foolish to try and stop me. You failed. Miserably. Now prepare to see your wonderful Inkopolis under my control, with me as its king."**

"No! Don't destroy Inkopolis! You don't know how many lives will be destroyed as a result of this!" Sonic cried.

 **"Oh, of course I would no. Inklings and Octolings are the species that aren't worth living for. I'm here to make the world a better place."** Tartar sighed. Then he grabs his Charger. Redd's and Sonic's eyes widened. They were about to be splatted for good, since there was no available respawn pad nearby.

 **"Farewell, you little, dumb squids. You're gonna be the first to be gone as I make way for the new world. Goodbye forever."** Tartar said with an evil smirk. The smirk turned into a frown as the left eye was gold.

"F... For... give... me..." Marie let out some words, and lets a single tear roll down her cheek. Then that eye was teal again. Tartar charged up a big shot, and aimed it at Redd. He and Sonic closed their eyes, awaiting their fate.

But before Tartar can end them for good, a swing of magenta ink was shot at him, making him back up.

 **"WHAT?!"** Tartar screamed.

"Not so fast!" A female voice yelled. Everyone looked up. The voice turned out to be Callie, and she was in her Squid Sister outfit. Pearl and Marina were also beside her, in their casual uniforms.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Pearl teased with a wide smirk.

"Callie! Pearl! Marina!" Sonic cheered.

"You came to help us!" Redd added. The three idols jumped down and held their weapons up. Callie wielded a Splat Roller, Pearl had her Splat Dualies, and Marina has a Tentatek Splattershot.

 **"How DARE you interrupt my plan? I was this close to gaining control of your dumb little city!"** Tartar complained.

"You are doing that in the most wrong way possible! And you took control of my cousin, for crying out loud!" Callie yelled.

"We've defeated you before, Tartar. We'll defeat you again." Marina snapped.

"Get ready for a great splatdown!" Pearl shrieked. For the idols, their hair began to glow, knowing that their special was about to be ready.

Pearl started with her Tenta Missiles, which is Redd's least favorite special weapon in his opinion. She aimed each missile at the Octolings.

The sanitized Octolings let go of their captives, and they ran away. But the missiles were faster, and they caught up to the Octolings and splatted them. Redd and Sonic backed up to devise a plan as the idols attempted to fight back.

Then Marina activates her Inkjet, and started shooting at Tartar, who tried to shoot back. After all, Marina was a bit vulnerable since she's flying in the air. But she was already experienced in stuff like this.

As Tartar was knocked back from enough shots, Callie activated her special from her Roller: the Killer Wail, one of the specials that is no longer being used.

"Hey, Cal! Let me help ya out there!" Pearl insisted.

"You got it!" Callie responded with a smile and a wink. They stand behind the Killer Wail, with Tartar's eyes widening.

 **"No, not again! Nope, nope nope nope nope, so much NOPE!"** Tartar ranted as he tried to run away.

"BOOYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Callie and Pearl screamed in unison, letting the attack go out full force. Tartar got caught in it. Once it was over, Tartar lays on the floor. He hasn't let go of his captive yet.

"You're not gonna control my girlfriend any longer." Redd said angrily. His special was ready as well. So he immediately started a Splashdown.

 **"Oh snap."** Tartar mumbled, and attempted to run away and grab the Charger. But Redd's special landed, and it sent Tartar _flying._

Sonic looked, and then held and Autobomb in his hands. It is up to him to finish Tartar off.

 _"Gotta go for the goop on the side of the ear."_ Sonic thought, and then threw the Autobomb. It walked towards where Tartar is gonna land.

And once Tartar landed back on the floor, on his back, the Autobomb exploded, disintegrating the goop.

 **"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"** Was Tartar's last scream before he is completely gone. And once the goop disappeared, Marie is back to normal, but lays down on her back unconscious.

"YEAH! We did it!" Pearl cheered, and everyone else cheered with her.

"Phew. That sure was a tough battle." Sonic said.

"Definitely. Luckily, we came in to rescue you in time." Marina responded.

"Word." Pearl added. They all heard small groaning. Marie raised her head up, finally waking up from the amount of attacks.

"MARIE!" Redd and Callie yelled in unison, then they ran to her, and helped her up.

"Marie? You alright?" Redd asked as he puts his right hand on her back, and his left hand on her left arm. Marie fully wakes up and looks at Redd and Callie.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine." Marie said with a small chuckle.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Marie! I was so worried about you when you weren't coming home!" Callie cried as she hugged her cousin tightly.

"Oh, Callie... you were always the one to get worried easily." Marie teased as she gently hugs back.

"I never knew that Tartar would be _that_ evil enough to try and pick _you_ out of everyone else." Redd pointed out.

"I guess he just did. He probably didn't have any other choice. But still..." Marie mumbled.

"What?" Redd asked.

"I should't have let Tartar fully control me." Marie admitted.

"Marie, you are a strong agent. Even stronger than me," Redd said, "Even though Tartar was controlling you with all his strength, I knew I had to be there to help you fight it. And it managed to work a little. If I wasn't there, then Pearl, Marina and Callie won't come to save us in time."

"Heh, you have a point, Redd." Marie responded with a smirk.

"Uh... Marie? I'm wondering... why you're wearing THAT?" Callie asked, as she pointed at Marie's outfit. It was still that half-naked one, and Marie was surprised she's wearing it.

"Why the carp is Tartar such a PERVERT?" Marie ranted.

"Yeah, I agree. Your normal dress suits you perfectly." Redd complimented.

"Oh, Redd. I noticed you aren't... depressed anymore." Marie pointed out.

"Heh, that's right! I'm now my excited, awesome self again!" Redd shouted excitedly, and then jumps high in the air and turns around, turning his head back at the Squid Sisters.

"WOO! REDD'S BACK!" Redd screamed while putting his hands high in the air. The Squid Sisters just roll their eyes at the playfulness. Marie slowly walks over to the fourth Agent.

"Well, if he's back... then I'm sure he would give me a kiss after all that." Marie teased.

"He most certainly will." Redd said with a smirk. And then their lips lock on, each of them putting their hands on each other's body. Their tongues dance around, small moans being heard.

After 10 more seconds, they finally stop. Sonic smiled at the sight, happy to see that everyone is alright. Marie is saved from Tartar, and Redd is no longer feeling depressed.

Sonic saw that Pearl and Marina were walking towards him as well.

"We're happy to see you okay, Sonic. Along with Redd and the Squid Sisters. It was really worth it." Marina said.

"Yeah! And we're alright, even through that whole battle! Good job on destroying Tartar with us!" Pearl complimented.

"Oh, heh... it was nothing." Sonic replied bashfully. He got surprised to see the Off the Hook idols hug him, making him blush very brightly.

"It was anything BUT nothing! You saved Inkopolis if anything!" Marina exclaimed as she kept in hugging him.

"Just like we did with Agent 8 before!" Pearl added. Before Sonic could respond, there was the one thing that just happened that he will remember for a long time.

Both Pearl _and_ Marina kiss him on the cheek. Sonic's blush got even brighter, and he passed out in the process.

"Hee hee... come on, let's take him back. We've each had a long day." Callie insisted.

"And his parents, too. That's the other main reason we came here." Redd added.

* * *

 ***8 minutes later...***

"Hey, he's waking up!" Redd exclaimed. Sonic slowly opened his eyes. They fully opened once Redd lightly shakes him.

"Heh, Sonic, you alright, man? You passed out for, like, 8 minutes." Redd laughed.

"It's... hard to explain." Sonic admitted. Sonic looked around, and saw the four idols were there, with Marie wearing her kimono again. Redd was there, and...

Sonic's parents were there as well, and they were alright.

"We're happy to see you actually made it out. And you even helped save us, sweetie." Sonic's mom said.

"Yeah! I never knew you had the guts to actually come save us!" Sonic's dad added with a hearty laugh.

"Heh, I couldn't have done it without Redd, the Squid Sisters, and Off the Hook." Sonic confessed. He also noticed that it was still nighttime. Around 2:00 AM.

"So, why are we here again?" Sonic asked.

"That's because we have a special gift to give to you." Marina replied.

"And it's a very worthy one for that matter." Marie added.

"Sonic, this is one moment that you cannot turn back on. You've helped save Inkopolis, your parents, and Marie, and we knew we had to give you something special." Redd said.

"I want to see what this gift is." Sonic said excitedly. And then confetti was thrown at him as cheers were heard.

"Congratulations, Sonic! Because of your awesome efforts... we have officially decided to make you Agent 10 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon!" Redd offered.

"O-Oh my gosh." Sonic mumbled, very surprised by that. And then he shock went even higher when both of his parents hugged him.

"We're so proud of you, son! This is a great achievement!" Sonic's dad cheered.

"We hope you'll do the best you can as being part of this major group!" Sonic's mom agreed. Sonic slightly smiled and embarrassingly chuckles.

"G-Guys, stop. You're embarrassing me." He said. Everyone got a good laugh at that.

"Anyway, we should go back home. It's getting really late." Redd insisted.

"Sure." Everyone else replied. And so, they all leave Octo Canyon, happy that they were able to save the day.

Redd's depression has faded away, and it was all worth it to save his friend's parents, and his girlfriend. While his parents are gone, at least he'll one day know that somewhere where no mortal being can go to...

Redd's parents are up there, smiling widely.

This was one of the best days to have such a great happy ending.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all for Depressink :D. Before I go, I bet some of you will be wondering if there will be a bonus chapter. The answer is yes, there will be. I'm gonna try and make it ASAP.**

 **Also, I know Vote #1 made it, but I gave a chance to vote #2 halfway through the battle to make it a little more interesting. :p**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story, and the bonus chapter will come someday. Be sure to check out my other stories as well. Stay Fresh! ;)**


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